


Fantora

by Jacque_le_Prince



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Original Work
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Asian Character(s), Biracial Character, Black Character(s), Character(s) of Color, Comedy, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hispanic Character, Humor, Indian Character, Latino Character, Lesbian Character, M/M, Muslim Character, Nonbinary Character, Trans Female Character, hetalia knock-off
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-12 11:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5665060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacque_le_Prince/pseuds/Jacque_le_Prince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(spiritual successor to Hetalia) Millenia have passed since Earth's destruction. Only centuries have passed since its rebirth. Life has, once again, flourished on Earth. New lands have formed and now govern the Neo-Earth they call Pandora.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fantora is nothing like my other stories, which are rather serious and dramatic. This is an unofficial sequel to Hetalia, and my very first attempt at comedy. Because Hetalia is an anime [and also a manga], some adjustments had to be made in order for the comedic fill to stick:  
> 1) In Hetalia, there's a narrator voice that often gives important facts. Fantora will also have a narrator. Their monologue will be in a separate box of italicized text.  
> 2) In Hetalia, they switched between the past and the present a lot [in just one episode, not just the whole series]. To keep things organized, Fantora is set up like a play. Each chapter is called an Act. Each time period is called a Scene.  
> 3) In Hetalia, the nations were called by their nation name (ex. Canada, America, China). In Fantora, the nations will address each other by their human names, which are pretty noticeable as everyone is given a pretty fanciful name (ex. Chiffon Mila, Prism Ryder, Sans Bleu).

_“Long ago on the planet Earth, there lived countries that roamed along with their people: Canada, Switzerland, Seychelles, and many more. The planet held a pleasant performance and ended with dignity. Over time, life faded away from the planet, leaving it as an empty stage. On that stage, came the world we know today: Pandora. Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, I welcome you all to the history lesson of our dear planet Pandora and the lovely countries that have shaped its culture.”_

* * *

Scene 1:

“So we can all come to the conclusion that the issue of the vampires’ blood supply is our primary concern at the moment,” stated Lucien, who stood at the head of the table.

His brick red eyes glazed over the other nations sitting at the long table. There was a grand number of them, differentiating greatly from one another in race, gender, and attire. Despite so, the office only contained a small portion of the many other countries around the world.

“There is simply no excuse for our vampire citizens not to receive the very source of their nutrition. I request that the nations with the most amount of animals come to our next meeting,” Lucien concluded his statement “I know call to the stand, Chiffon, for the next topic.”

The dapper dressed country stood from his chair, confidently adjusting his bowtie “Thank you, Lucien.” As Lucien seated himself back in his chair, Chiffon sauntered over to the podium “Now, before I begin my topic,” he started “I would first like to address…this _cagna_ that apparently had a lot to say about me the other day to the press. Flora, what’s good?”

* * *

“ _Everything that begins must come to an end. That includes Earth. After many, many millennia, the blue planet slowly disintegrated and became a barren rock. Once again, the planet was a blank slate for new life start and for new lands to form. The first of which, was the Royal Papyrus Empire_.”

* * *

Scene 2:

Prism roamed through the dark forest, cursing with each time his clothes caught on a reaching twig and slapping his pale skin whenever he felt the pinch of a bug bite.

“ _They told me this guy was a descendent of the Royal Papyrus Empire_ ,” the red-haired nation thought to himself “ _He must follow in his footsteps if he was clever enough to hide in forest at night_.”

He continued to struggle through the tight trees and scratching bushes, muttering low curses underneath his breath. To add to his developing irritation, Prism’s foot caught on a large tree root. With a shout, the country’s face immediately connected with the dirt below.

“Finally! ‘scuse me, sir? Up here!”

Prism pushed himself up, perplexed by the sound of the feminine male voice laced with a Latin accent.

“Up here!” it repeated.

Prism looked up, only to be stunned to silence at what he saw.

Hanging from the tree above him was a male wrapped up in colorful wrapping paper. Only his head and dressy shoes poked out from each end of the shimmering cocoon. A gaudy golden ribbon was wrapped around his entire body and tied to the firmest branch in the tree.

“Listen, you look like you have a hunting knife with you, or somethin’. Could you _please_ do me a favor and cut me down?” the male asked.

Prism stuttered his answer as he struggled to pick himself up, not breaking eye contact with the spectacle above him “Y-You, how did you get up there?”

“Girl, you wouldn’t even believe it,” started the man, seemingly having forgotten about his uncomfortable position “Okay, so I was with my alliance at a meeting, right? Then my leader came in with an attitude, like he was stomping around and sighing, and then-”

“Uh, how about I cut you down first?” Prism did, in fact, have a hunting knife, along with various other supplies on his back in case he would end up having to set up camp.

That seemed to shut up the other man, which Prism was happy for. He wasn’t sure what disturbed him more about the man; the fact that he was so eager to vent about his woes to a random stranger or the fact that he addressed that stranger as “girl”.

The nation dropped his backpack to the ground and began to scale the tree. The tied up male watched with amazement as Prism easily climbed the trunk of the tree as if he had done so many times. Of course, being a nation, skills like this were easy for Prism to learn, a fact that the man was unaware of.

It took many long minutes, but eventually, Prism made his way to the tree limb and shimmied himself closer to where the ribbon was tied. The red-haired country reached for his holster and flicked out his knife.

“Wait, am I gonna land on—“

The male fell to the forest floor with a surprised cry.

Prism shifted his body on the tree branch so that he’d be hanging by his hands. He swayed back and forth a few times before leaping down to the ground, careful to avoid the wriggling mass below. Like a feline, he was able to land safely on his feet.

Prism huffed from the small exert of energy and stretched out his limbs, all the while, the crumbled body behind him whined and struggled in his binds.

“Now what woulda happened if I busted my head on a rock or something? I’d be a dead Christmas present in the middle of nowhere, that’s what! I don’t know what you were thinking when you did that…”

With a groan of annoyance, Prism knelt down and began to unwrap the still-complaining male “Will you shut up while I’m trying to do this?!” the red-haired country snapped.

With a smack of his lips, the male silenced himself and allowed Prism to continue his work.

“There,” huffed Prism as he stood back up again.

As the male emerged from his broken cocoon, Prism was able to get a better look at him. He was a young man little under his own height. In the dark, his black hair blended into the night, but Prism could see that it was pulled away from his brown face in a small braid. His lean body adorned a dapper red blazer over a black dress shirt with a red bowtie. He wore a pair of grey jeans over black dress shoes. A gold wristwatch twinkled on his wrists and a rose bloomed from his jacket pocket

“ _Grazie,_ ” the male said with a smile “Is there any way I can repay you?”

“Yes,” stated Prism “By telling me just how in the hell you got up there in the first place.”

“Oh,” the man easily flipped back into his unique “story-telling” mood “Anyway, so like I was saying, my boss came in with an attitude because the Neo-Australian government was sending undercover soldiers into our land. Something about a real petty argument…”

Prism’s typically hard expression softened into intrigue. As he continued to listen to the male before him he had come to a heavy realization.

“They wanted me to bait any soldiers that went past this line,” continued the male, gesturing with the charisma of a talk show host as he spoke “Now, before I even got the chance to agree, they started wrapping me up in paper, took me out here and tied me up to the tree!”

“So, what you’re saying is…” Prism started “You’re a country?”

The man furrowed his brows at Prism, then said “Oh yeah, forgot about that part,” he smiled “I’m the descendant of the Royal Papyrus Empire, Tristan! But just call me by my human name, Chiffon Mila. It’s less confusing,” after finishing his grand introduction, the black nation then asked “And who might you be?”

“Well, my human name is Prism Ryder,” the red-head took a step closer “But where I come from, they call me Neo-Australia.”

“Oh. Well shit.”

* * *

**Translation notes:**

**"cagna" = "bitch" in Italian**


	2. Act 2

" _ The Royal Papyrus Empire was a very strong and powerful Topaz nation. Being the first country, the empire held the first inhabitants of the entire planet and thrived on the very thing it was named after: papyrus products _ ."

* * *

 

Scene 1:

A man stood proudly on the balcony of his castle. He adorned a tight-fitting white top with short sleeves on his muscular upper body. A golden belt hung loosely from his slender hips, contrasting the tight indigo pants tucked in to his dark brown boots. His crimson cape fluttered gloriously in the wind as he watched the many citizens of his country walk down the street.

"I couldn't dream of a better lifestyle," Russell bragged, he wide smile shining ivory against his dark skin "A land to call my own, filled with people I can consider my friends."

* * *

 

" _ Even though Papyrus--Russell--thought this, he knew it was only partially true. Over time, he grew lonely. He was the only country in the world, the only one of his kind. He needed someone who could understand him _ ."

* * *

 

Scene 1:

A child bearing similar features to Russell blissfully hummed a tune as he spun around down the street. The elegant fabrics of his rose colored garb danced around his little body.

"Tristan? Tristan, over here!"

Before the little nation could even consider obeying his guardian's wish, a large, but gentle hand reached out to take hold of his small, pudgy one.

"Gotcha!" the elder nation said "Come on, now. It's time for breakfast."

Tristan smoothly obliged without argument and allowed Russell to walk him into the elegant dining room. On the table was the usual array of the nations' usual breakfast: a pan full of garden cheddar frittata, zucchini crepes, quiche, and many more hot dishes. Then, there was Tristan's personal favorite; Chiffon cake.

* * *

 

Scene 2:

Prism glowered at the sight before him.

Chiffon was idly sitting on the couch with a laptop in his hands while the old TV buzzed a hackneyed sitcom that the nation wasn't even watching. The basement was uncomfortably large and barren. The concrete walls and floor only amplified the feeling of emptiness. There was an old, rundown bar on one side of the room. In the middle, there was a modest television, a wooden coffee table, and an old couch that sagged with use.

Despite the depressing atmosphere and the faint smell of mold, Chiffon looked unbothered. In fact, Chiffon looked about as comfortable as someone resting in their own bedroom.

"Really?" snorted Prism "You just got captured and you're just going to accept it?"

"Well, you've got great wifi and pretty nice food," reasoned Chiffon, not looking up from the laptop.

"Fish and chips for four weeks straight is considered "nice"?" questioned Prism.

"I've been ordering takeout," blatantly stated Chiffon.

"Is that why the doorbell keeps ringing?!" Prism blurted out, turning around as if expecting the door to ring at that exact moment.

"Yeah, but don't worry," said Chiffon "I told them to use the basement door from now on."

It was then that Prism flicked his copper eyes over to the other staircase adjacent from him. That staircase was topped with a door that lead directly outside into Prism's open backyard. The only thing defining the backyard was the dense forestry that surrounded it.

Prism's stomach sank as he realized the error that he had made. He had put his prisoner in a room that leads directly outside. Chiffon could have escaped any time.

But he didn't.

"Okay, what's your motive?" sternly asked Prism as he strutted over to Chiffon "You're taking this capture without a fight. You shouldn't  _ want _ to be my prisoner."

The other country shot an annoyed glare at the red-head "Alright, alright, damn," he snorted "If you want me to leave so badly, I will."

At first, Prism simply stood there in silence with a furrowed brow and disbelief tracing his features. Even when Chiffon suddenly closed the laptop to punctuate his statement, Prism was still stuck in a state of surprise.

With a huff, the captured country stood from the squeaky old couch and stubbornly made his way towards the staircase.

The brief ray of light told Prism that Chiffon had indeed left.

The country stared at the stairway for a moment to process what had just happened. Did he really just waste his time capturing a nation just so he could walk away?

Prism seated himself on the couch, wincing once his body made contact with it " _ Even if he really is a descendant of the Royal Papyrus Empire, he clearly doesn't pose a threat _ ," he thought " _ He's not worthy of a country _ ."

Prism reached for the television remote and tried to relax on the couch. He flicked between a few news channels and talk shows before deciding that he wasn't much of a TV person. He flicked the television off.

Silence.

Prism's copper eyes roamed over to the laptop that Chiffon had left. The redhead had been so busy lately that he hadn't been given the time to relax and actually use the laptop. It didn't take much consideration or thought for him to reach out and casually pull the device onto his lap.

He was immediately met with an open Twitter page that Chiffon had apparently neglected to close. Prism's eyes flickered over the timeline containing witty puns, flamboyant statements, and Chiffon's own personal updates.

Prism gave a mocking "tch" at the sight "I can't believe I was actually told to capture him."

He then highlighted the complex URL and replaced it with the simple google address.

Soon, the bright colors of Chiffon's Twitter were replaced with the bland ivory screen of the popular search engine.

Prism clicked the search box. A blinking line awaited his request as he hesitated with a blank face.

Finally, he typed a letter "B". Another letter followed: "D". After "S" and "M" were added, a drop down box of suggestions sprawled out for Prism.

He rolled the cursor over them in pensive thought, some of the suggestions glowing a bright purple from usage.

Slam!

"The Ravens are coming! The Ravens are coming!"

Prism hissed at the sudden sound of the basement door opening alongside Chiffon's screaming.

He quickly shut the laptop as the nation noisily locked the door behind him and ran down the cement stairs. Even with sweat dripping down Chiffon's face and fear in his chocolate brown eyes, Prism could do nothing but growl at him "What do you think you're doing back here?!"

"Boy, I just said the Ravens are coming!" repeated Chiffon, enunciating each syllable with a clap of his hands "Are you deaf?"

Prism gave the other a puzzled expression "Ravens? What the hell are you…?" The redhead went silent as the ground rumbled around them.

Prism knew that sound all too well.

Those were the stomping hooves of soldiers on horseback. They were far away, but they were large in number, he could tell.

Prism turned around, facing the locked door that Chiffon had just come from.

"The Raven Empire is back."   
  



	3. Act 3

Scene 1:

"Okay…okay…we've got the barricades ready, our defenses are up," Prism tapped his chin with his pen "If I can get into contact with a few other countries that I have good connections with, I should be able to get a loan for some weapon—Chiffon, where are you going?!"

The Topaz nation in question flinched at the sound of his name. He had been sneaking towards the front door with suitcases in his hands.

"Don't tell me after all this time you spent freeloading, you decided to ditch me now that we're at war!" gasped Prism in an incredulous tone.

"First of all, boy, let's not forget that you captured me," Chiffon stated, setting down his luggage so he could place his hands on his hips "Secondly, my grandpappy taught me better than that. I would never leave a fellow country in their time of need."

"Uh-huh," said Prism, nodding at the reference to the great empire "Then what's with the luggage?"

Chiffon smiled "I just got word that I'm an uncle!"

If it was possible for Prism's skin to grow any paler, it would have in that exact moment "Y-You, how did you—"

Chiffon put his hands up "Not the way you think," he said "Two new micro-nations of my race recently formed and my friend took them in as her own."

"Oh…" with that, Prism seemed to deflate in relief. He didn't know what he would do if he found out that his newfound ally had been fraternizing with someone other than another nation.

"You should come visit them with me," offered Chiffon "While The Raven Empire isn't attacking."

Prim squinted at the idea. It seemed irresponsible to leave his territory even for a second "I don't think we should leave," the redhead mused, rubbing his chin in thought "How would it look if I left my soldiers to fend for themselves?"

Chiffon raised a brow "What if I told you my friend could lend us some supplies for the war?"

Prism's earth brown eyes bounced in intrigue "Go on…"

* * *

" _Because nations are only personifications of their countries, they do not share the same family relationships as normal human beings do. Nations are not born. Nations do not die. Nations simply exist._ "

* * *

Scene 2:

Prism admired the plush greenery surrounding him as the sea breeze brushed against his face " _It's been a long time since I've visited a Bronze area_ ," he thought to himself " _Strange, I thought Chiffon was Topaz_."

The two males were approaching a large home separate from the others. It was partially concealed by the greenery. Not even a fence surrounded the home, making it easy to see the two children sitting in their backyard, supposedly having a picnic of some sort.

" _Bambini_! Your uncle's here!" cheered Chiffon as he flew over to the backyard.

Prism hesitated, surprised that the nation even dropped his suitcases at the sight of the micro-nations. Nonetheless, the Pearl nation followed.

Prism cleared his throat as he entered the backyard "Hello there, I'm Neo-Australia. I heard you, too, were also a country…"

The redhead stopped talking once he realized that no one was paying him any attention. Instead, Chiffon and the two children were watching as a woman pinned down a fully-grown grizzly bear in a classic wrestler's position.

The creature wheezed and groaned in agony. Prism watched in fear that the woman would actually kill it, but instead, the woman hopped off and lightly tapped the bear, coaxing it to weakly walk out of the backyard in defeat.

The woman sighed from the exert of energy and brushed away the bangs that were sticking to her now sweaty forehead "I'm sorry you had to see that," she said, turning around to face her guests "I wasn't planning on a bear interrupting my lunch."

The woman was a little under Chiffon's height with dark brown skin and brown eyes. Her black hair was straight with a purple highlight in her bangs and a small ponytail. She wore a purple short-sleeved, button-down top with a grey long-sleeved shirt underneath. She also wore black cargo pants and knee high boots. To accessorize, a pair of glasses rested on her head and a grey satchel stretched across her figure.

While Chiffon oohed and ahhed at the children dining at the table, Prism stared in awe at the female nation.

"It's nice to meet you," she greeted "I'm Leah, but my human name is Dema Mai."

Still with a look of wonder on his face Prism responded "It's nice to meet you too, Dema…Say would you like to join our alliance?"

Dema furrowed her brows at the sudden request "…Eh?!"

In that moment, Chiffon separated himself from the children to participate in the conversation "Oh yeah, I might've told him that you were willing to lend some of your weapons to help out in the war. So yeah…"

* * *

" _In the end, Leah joined Neo-Australia and Tristan in the World War. Together, the trio made the Axis Powers_."

* * *

Scene 3:

Chiffon hummed a chipper tune as he packed the two separate lunch bags with different food. Meanwhile, two children sat down at the kitchen table as they watched him work.

The smaller child's name was Felicianus, or "Angelo Mai". They had soft brown skin and shoulder-length dark brown hair. Their slanted eyes appeared to be closed, adding to their natural poker-face. Angelo wore an oversized blue tunic with a purple waist belt and brown pants tucked into their black ankle boots.

On the other side was the much taller Victricius, or "Dante Mai". They had brown skin with a much more vibrant golden undertone, but the same styled and colored hair. Dante's eyes were much more perky and full of mischief. They wore a more appropriate sized yellow and green sweater underneath a grey vest and black pants tucked into brown ankle boots.

During the past few weeks, Chiffon had come to learn two things about his supposed "nephews".

One, they weren't his nephews, nor were they his nieces. Angelo was agender whereas Dante was bigender. When Prism questioned how children so young could already know so much about their gender identity, he was met with a malicious glare from Dante.

Two, the children had very contrasting personalities that made them rather high-maintenance.

Although Angelo was a very sweet child, they didn't speak. They could only hush one-word answers when spoken to. This meant that if the child needed something, most likely, no one would ever know until it was too late.

Then there was Dante. Unlike many children who display bratty behavior by throwing tantrums, Dante's variety of "bratty" behavior was unique to them. Dante liked to cause trouble just for their own personal entertainment, making their typical smile all the more frightening.

Indeed, they both needed attention in their own way. That's why they both wore a violet hair ribbon, to show that they were under Dema's guardianship. Anyone who threatened her micro-nations had to answer to her, as witnessed by the grizzly bear on the fateful day.

Chiffon turned around with two bags in his hands "Here you go, kiddies!" he handed a bag to Dante "Ham and cheese sandwich with carrot sticks," he then handed the second bag to Angelo "Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich with apple slices," he then patted both on the head "And a bottle of grape juice for the both of you."

"Thank…" that's all Angelo could get out, but Chiffon smiled at the child regardless.

"You're welcome, buddy," Chiffon waved the kids off as he watched them exit the house "Stay safe!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:  
> "bambini" = "children" in Italian


	4. Act 4

" _They say that history repeats itself. Prism Ryder's existence as the Neo-Australia is proof of that. However, not everything from the past can return._ "

* * *

Scene 1:

"I don't like the name Axis Powers."

Prism looked at the outspoken nation beside him "What? I thought it was a nice name."

Chiffon clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes "That's only because you came up with it."

"I agree with Chiffon," said Dema "It's not a bad name, but something about it just seems…eerily familiar…"

The three nations were sitting on the rooftop of the base that they agreed to stay in. It resembled a large but bland-looking house. Around the base was a cinderblock wall defining their territory with Neo-Australian, Lean, and Tristanian soldiers defending it.

Despite the professional appearance of their base, the nations were casually lying down on futons supplied by Dema " _So we can have proper rest_ ," she had said.

Embedded in the roof were hidden shelves that held weapons " _So that we may be ready to fight if the time comes_ ," Prism had claimed.

Lining the edges of the roof were red and gold lanterns " _So we can actually see the edge of the roof before we walk off of it_ ," Chiffon had told them.

"Then what do you suggest, Dema?" questioned Prism.

Dema hummed in thought, looking out at the night sky.

"Oh!" Chiffon sat bolt-right in his futon "How about the Satin Ribbons?"

"Why satin ribbons?" asked Prism, a little unnerved by the feminine name.

"Satin is a very valuable fabric in my country," explained Chiffon "Although, many people like argue that silk is better, but obviously satin has a much better sheen to it and the texture is—"

"Dema, how is that name coming along?"

"Hey!"

Dema, who was still looking out at the stars, then smiled as an idea came to her "How about the Stellar…the Sigma Force," she looked over that the others "People could nickname us "Three Star Fighters" if they want."

Before Prism could even respond, Chiffon clapped his hands together "Ha! I love it!" he declared.

Prism mused for a moment "That's…actually pretty clever."

" _I made the right decision bringing her as an ally_ ," he thought to himself.

* * *

" _In the end, Leah joined Neo-Australia and Tristan in the International Battle. Together, the trio made the Axis Powers…and then quickly became the Sigma Force._ "

* * *

Scene 2:

It was early morning and the nations were attending to their own duties. Chiffon made himself busy turning their food rations into a delicacy, concentration and pride creasing his features as he spread spice and herbs over the pan.

Down on the ground, Prism had been finishing the last of his orders for their soldiers before he returned to the base.

When he climbed the flight of stairs that led up to the rooftop and poked his head up through the door, he was immediately faced with the activities of his second ally.

"Are you drawing?" the Pearl nation inquired.

Dema looked up from her notebook to meet the daze of the male nation " _Hai_ ," she answered "A chart of the Omega Pilots to be specific."

"A chart?" Prism climbed out onto the roof and closed the door behind him, now intrigued.

"Yes," repeated Dema, this time out of her native language "I figured it would be best to try and learn more about our enemies before we go into war with them."

Prism looked down over Dema's small shoulder to see the manga-esque pencil drawings of the five countries they were at war with.

The closest to the top was a stern-looking man with spiked hair. Underneath him was the caption " _The Raven Empire. Pseudo-leader. Really strong_." An arrow pointed diagonally downwards into the left towards a feminine individual with wavy hair and stubble. Along the arrow was the phrase " _raised her as a micro-nation_ ". The caption below the wavy-haired country read: " _Cierra. Once raided the Raven Empire_." A double-sided arrow pointed between Cierra and a friendly-looking woman with a hair bun. The caption below her read: " _Ariel. Looks like a cinnamon roll, but is actually from the hood (WE SHOULD BE SCARED)_."

There were only two countries that lacked any arrows to indicate special relationships with the other countries, and that was Tatenokawa and America. Tatenokawa, the proud-looking male with shoulder-length black hair had the caption " _Tatenokawa. My old caretaker. This is awkward_." America was a grinning man with a pair of sunglasses with the caption " _America. ??? Has probably killed a man. Likes chicken._ "

Prism scoffed "Our competition looks pretty dysfunctional. Not only do two of them already have bad history, but they all seem completely incompatible with each other."

"Ooh! I remember Cierra!" Chiffon mused, leaning over to look at the drawing while he wiped his hand cleanly on his apron.

The sudden arrival of the nation caused Prism to jolt slightly in surprise "Y-You do?" he asked.

" _Si._ Back in my micro years, my Grandpappy Russ used to take me all around the world," explained Chiffon "It was never just one house for us. No, girl, we lived out of a suitcase. Always on the road…"

* * *

Scene 3:

Chiffon had grown older now. At this point, he had come to resemble the physique of a prepubescent boy. However, as a country, he was far beyond those years. Meanwhile, his caretaker beside him still looked as powerful and youthful as he did before.

The two dark-skinned, boldly dressed nations stood out from the light-skinned citizens adorning colors as dark as the night sky around them.

" _Places like The Raven Empire are nocturnal areas, meaning that they never experience daylight. Therefore, these lands thrive on moonlight-grown plants and are also home to beings such as lycans and vampires_."

"Why don't you go make a friend or two?" questioned Papyrus as he gave Chiffon an encouraging pat on his shoulder "I'm going to go make a few business negotiations."

" _Bene_ , sounds great!" chimed Chiffon, eager to jump at the opportunity to be set free on his own.

However, once the young nation was turned loose, his confident smile fell into apprehension. He was in a Pearl area. The pale faces of the Pearl people around him were nothing like his own Topaz features.

He looked back to try and find Papyrus, but the empire was long gone. Without his caretaker at his side, he was the odd one out.

"Oh?" Chiffon's brows raised in intrigue as his eyes caught a glimpse of brown skin.

Was he mistaken? Was it wishful thinking? No, he had definitely seen it.

Sitting on the stone steps of a large castle was a child with fair brown skin. They had long, wavy pink hair and brown eyes. These warm colors contrasted greatly against the frilly black dress she wore.

Before either of them knew it, Chiffon was standing before the child.

" _Ciao_ ," greeted Chiffon with a friendly smile "What's your name?"

The child hesitated a bit, playing with the frills on his dress "Cierra," he said "I don't have a human name yet, though."

Chiffon's expression shifted from a polite front to open fascination "You're a nation?"

"Yes," confirmed Cierra "I was adopted by The Raven Empire, but I came from a Zircon area."

Chiffon nodded " _That's why she doesn't look like anyone else here_ ," he thought.

"Well, we seem to have a lot in common. I'm a country, too,  _and_  I was adopted by an Empire."

"The Royal Papyrus Empire?" questioned Cierra "Raven is supposed to be meeting him today."

" _Si_! That's him," confirmed Chiffon "While they're talking, would you like to show me around town?"

Cierra hesitated upon being asked the straight-forward question, but figured that it was much better than simply sitting on her porch steps for hours on end "Sure," she said.

* * *

A pair of binoculars held the image of the Sigma Force resting peacefully in their futons for the night.

"Target sighted."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:  
> "hai" = "yes" in Japanese  
> "si" = "yes" in Italian  
> "ciao" = "hi" in Italian  
> "bene" = "good" in Italian
> 
> Have you noticed something about how Tristan addresses the Royal Papyrus Empire?  
> Grandpappy Russ. Grand Pappy Russ. Grand Papy Rus. Grand Papyrus. B)


	5. Act 5

Scene 1:

A pair of binoculars held the image of the Sigma Force resting peacefully in their futons for the night.

"Target sighted," hushed the black-clad man. His brick red eyes peered through the enhanced image through the lenses. His tall body sat rigid in his crouching position as his black coat hung around him like a cape "Hmm, so Neo-Australia has two new allies? Tristan and Leah. I know Leah is definitely a formidable opponent, but I can't say much for Tristan. He's the descendant of the Royal Papyrus Empire, but he doesn't seem as powerful as—"

"Lucy! Dinner's ready!"

The man growled at the feminine pet name "I won't say it again, Jacqueline. My name is Lucien and Lucien only."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. Now come on! You've been sitting there for hours!"

The tall man set aside his binoculars and stepped down from his post.

* * *

" _The Raven Empire had little to no difficulty recruiting countries for his alliance. As one of the most powerful countries currently living, not many countries opposed to the invitation. That, and the fact that Cierra was a very convincing nation_."

* * *

Scene 2:

A pearly white phone chimed a lovely melody before it was swiftly picked up by a fair brown hand with white cuffs. The answerer had brown eyes to match their brown skin. His thick wavy pink hair fell in a high ponytail and mirrored the pink stubble on his chin. She wore a sleeveless pink blouse and blue and pink leggings on her atheletic figure and pink ankle boots on her feet.

" _Bonjour_ , this is Cierra," answered the individual as she twirled a tuft of her pink hair "Oh hey, Lucy! It's been a long time since I've heard from you!…Yeah, yeah, whatever…A war? Seriously?…What'd Neo-Australia do?…Wow, rude…Want me to join your alliance?…No? What do you mean no?! I'm the perfect soldier!"

On the other line, Lucien sighed, knowing exactly what to expect "Oh god, this again…" he murmured.

" _Don't you understand that I am the only pangender nation? I am the only country that carries the strength of a male, female, and many genders in between? I'll have you know that I am one of the only two people in the entire world trusted to wield a gun for my the protection of my people. I started this country from an empty grassland without any assistance whatsoever. I am a strong Zircon nation, who don't need no man_ —"

"Okay, okay, I'll let you join," sighed Raven as he pinched his brow "Just on one condition: find at least one other nation to join us."

" _Haha! Glad to have you see things my way, Lucy. I'll get right on it!_ "

"It's Lucien!"

Click.

Lucien grimaced at the phone as it sang out a barren dial tone.

* * *

Scene 3:

A woman hummed a soft tune as she stirred cake batter. She made sure to wear an apron over her soft orange jeans, and rolled up the sleeves of her champaign colored blouse. Despite her ebonic features, her skin was a similar light tan to the cake batter that she stirred. In contrast, her bright red hair sat high in a bun on her head.

Jacqueline sniffed the sweet sugary scent of the air "Ahh, it's been a long time since I've been back in Ariel," they said "So, Flora, you wanna join?"

"Sure," happily replied the redhead "It's been a long time since I've been able to use my mace!" The cheery nation reached above her spice rack, where a large spiked ball on a stick rested just barely out of sight.

Jacqueline flashed a thumbs up to the other nation "Perfect."

* * *

Scene 4:

A man with reddish brown skin and black hair with a maroon tint dined happily on the meal placed before him. His transition glasses threatened to slip off of his ears from the motion his jaw made as he chewed. A napkin was tucked securely into the black T-shirt under his brown denim outfit to prevent food from staining his clothes or the dream catcher hanging from his neck.

Flora and Jacqueline stood behind the male as he ate the plentiful plate of honey fried chicken, spaghetti, and biscuits.

"Wow, you guys make a convincing argument!" the man then swallowed the few remains of the "convincing argument" in his mouth and wiped his lips clean "That's the best meal I've had in centuries. With that being said, I'll definitely join your alliance!"

Flora and Jacqueline exchanged smug grins and high-fives at the nation's response.

* * *

" _And with that, Ariel and Neo-America joined the Omega Pilots. Even though this was Cierra's mission alone, The Raven Empire had also recruited a nation of his own in Tatenokawa_."

* * *

Scene 5:

The shorter man flashed a prideful grin as he pushed his black hair behind his ear "So, you have requested my services in your alliance?" he asked in a rather dramatic tone.

Lucien raised a brown at him "Yes, that's exactly what I just asked."

Koujaku chuckled, his pride absent this time "Of course, I was just making sure," he said, dropping the dramatic tone. He then cleared his throat and turned around "Kaneko! Tanzen!"

Two younger nations exited the temple behind him. They appeared to be in their teenage years, but were of equal height to their elder. Unlike the older nation, who wore a black tank top with a red kimono tied around his waist, a pair of faded jeans, and traditional Japanese sandals, both of the younger nations wore much less ethnic clothing.

"Your mentor is going away for a while to fight alongside The Raven Empire in an international war," explained their elder.

Kaneko and Tanzen looked at one another, the taller one shrugging while the shorter one said "Okay, stay safe out there."

Koujaku's green eyes widened "You're…okay with me leaving?"

Again, the shorter one with silver hair spoke up "Yeah, I mean, we're sure you can handle it," he said in his timid voice.

"Yeah but, you guys aren't going to miss me?" questioned Koujaku.

"I don't know. Maybe a little…?"

The mentor sighed "Good enough for me," before muttering "Ingrates…"

* * *

Scene 6:

Flora, Jacqueline, Alphonse, Lucien, and Koujaku sat around the lamp that they kept at a dim brightness level. They were preparing to turn in for the night soon, and felt it was necessary to waste their lamp's power when they planned on doing nothing else.

"It's kinda like a campfire when you think about it," said Alphonse, putting his hands out before him as if to warm his hands in front of an imaginary flame.

"A little campfire song would be nice to break the silence," added Flora "I feel like we've run out of things to talk about."

"Well, a break would give our minds a rest so we can stay sharp," Lucien glanced over at the Sigma Force's territory in the distant "And now would be the best time since the enemy is asleep." The tall man then cleared his throat.

" _Got a secret, can you keep it? Swear this one, you'll save. Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to the grave_ —"

"Ah, ah! _Non_ , not that one!" Jacqueline suddenly scolded, waving their arms out in front of them "The last time you sang a song this dark, you summoned that demonic pixelated flower in your living room."

Lucien blinked in silence, undeniable guilt in his eyes.

"We will either sing something appropriate or sing nothing at all," sternly stated Jacqueline.

There was an awkward silence among the five nations as the three newly recruited members let the exchange between Jacqueline and Lucien settle down.

Eventually, Alphonse spoke up again, this time, pulling up a guitar.

"So, uh, I hope you guys like Wonderwall."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:  
> "bonjour" = "hello" in French  
> "non" = "no" in French


	6. Act 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter (and maybe even upcoming chapters) will jump around in time because I want to show "behind the scenes" moments of what happens while the nations prepare for war and what their relationships are. Also, I'm moving on to writing the little narratives more like an actual history book by describing the nations as only countries, and not people/personifications to add to the historical theme. I feel like it would make more sense since the scenes are already telling describing the nations as people.

Scene 1:

Flora yawned, stretching her arms high above her head as she rested in her futon. She gazed up at the late morning sky "What a perfect day…" she mused.

The redhead then reached down below her futon and pulled up her mace "…for war."

Lucien, who had been busy looking over a few papers, heard this and perked his head up "Absolutely not," he shot down.

"He's right," noted Alphonse "You'll throw out your back trying to swing around that thing!"

For emphasis, Flora tossed the weapon into the air with a simple flick of the wrist. In the split second it flipped through the air, Alphonse and Koujaku choked in horror. Before either could make any further reaction, though, the Brass nation caught the weapon in her hand.

"What?! You could have killed yourself just now!" scolded Koujaku.

"Enough, you all," asserted Lucien "We cannot go into war just yet. It's only the second day. Doing anything outright violent at this point would be foolish," he shot a glare at Flora when he said this. The redhead only gave a tired shake of her head.

"You've got a point there," agreed Alphonse "So if we shouldn't fight now, what'll we do in the meantime?"

Lucien gave a cocky smirk "I've devised a plan to target the Sigma Force's most vital ally," he said.

* * *

" _When Neo-Australia requested Leah's services in the International Battle, the Bronze nation agreed under one condition: In return, Neo-Australia must help Leah support two smaller nations that she had annexed, Victricius and Felicianus."_

* * *

Scene 2:

"Prism, I'd like you to meet Dante and Angelo," introduced Dema as she gently patted the two shorter nations.

"Oh, um, hey kids…?" the male nation answered, rubbing the back of his neck "Uh, Dema, I'm not very experienced as a caretaker."

"That's alright. They're really self-reliant," declared Dema "Just give them food, books, video games, and keep your personal belongings out of reach and you'll be fine."

"What?"

Dema gave a guilty chuckle "Yeah, Dante here gets a little nosy sometimes," she then leaned down to their ear "But they're going to be good for Mr. Australia,  _aren't they?_ "

The child gave a defiant pout, but said "Yes, Dema-chan."

From the ceiling above the four nations, there was a muffled knock and a voice "Dema! Can you help me set up the lights?"

The female nation cupped her hand over the side of her mouth "Yeah, I'll be right there!" And without a moment's hesitation, she left the small nations with Prism.

The redhead hesitated before speaking "So, what do you do for fun?"

"Plan for world domination," happily stated Dante.

"Okay, talking was a bad idea," deadpanned Prism "I think I'll just leave Chiffon to take care of you since he's technically related to you. Sounds good?"

"But—"

"Great, bye."

* * *

" _Though, Leah didn't exactly specify that Neo-Australia had to support them,_ directly _."_

* * *

Scene 3:

"Alright Angelo, are you ready?" asked Dante.

The younger sibling, who had been reading a book on the floor, casually shook their head.

"Great! We'll get started immediately," Dante said as they took Angelo's hand and guided them through the house "You see, we're in the middle of what will probably be the biggest event in history."

"Lo…?" murmured Angelo.

"No, not Lollapalooza," corrected Dante as they opened the front door "The International Battle."

Angelo halted just behind the threshold of the door and stared softly with their sleepy eyes.

Dante turned around at the other "I know Dema said to stay inside," they griped "But I wanna teach you a valuable lesson. As your older sibling, it's my duty."

Angelo held their chin for a brief second in thought.

"I'll give you money if you come with me."

With that, the younger nation finally stepped out of the house.

"Excellent," said Dante as they continued dragging the other around the base "We're gonna have to sneak around so the Aussie's guards don't heckle us," they whispered.

"Hm?" hummed Angelo.

"We're trying to infiltrate the Omega Pilots' territory," explained Dante "The way to conquering your enemy is disrupting their peace, making them feel vulnerable and unsafe in their own home."

Again, Angelo gave a questionable "Hm?"

"I'll show you when we get there," answered Dante.

The two micro-nations snuck through the tall grass around the battle ground. The soldiers' sharp eyes scanned the area like security cameras. Whenever the grass rustled, one would immediately dart their gaze in that reaction, but immediately brushed off the tiny movement as a rabbit or other small creature.

Finally, the two micro-nations made it to the other base.

Dante rubbed their hands together with a sinister grin "Perfect," they smirked.

"Hm," Angelo pointed at the older sibling.

"Oh yes," Dante then dug into their pocket and pulled out a bundle of yellow flowers wrapped in a decorative ribbon.

Angelo reached out to hold them, but the older sibling pulled away "Wait! They're poisonous," they said "I have a tolerance to them, though. So I'm fine."

As Dante knelt down to prop the flowers against the wall, Angelo suddenly raised a finger as though they just had been struck with an idea. The older sibling glanced back "Huh? You've got something?"

Angelo then started to walk around the base to a different wall. Dante followed "You really came prepared? I didn't even tell you what where we were going. Very impressive, Feli!"

The two approached a door. Unlike the front entrance of the base, this was an ordinary, inconspicuous door that was the same grey as the rest of the base. Angelo then knocked on the door.

Dante gave a confused expression "What are you…?"

The door opened before they could finish their sentence. There stood Alphonse.

"You got the stuff?" he asked.

Angelo then pulled out a tiny resealable bag of sliced apples from their pocket and handed it to Alphonse.

"Thanks little dude," clicked the nation as he reached into his own pocket and pulled out a handful of dollar bills.

Angelo accepted the money and turned back to Dante as Alphonse retreated back into the base.

The older micro-nation, who had remained silent in shock, gave a weak sigh "What am I gonna do with you?"

* * *

" _When Felicianus was just starting as a nation, they received a surplus of apples from Tristan, Neo-Australia's ally. In turn, Felicianus started exporting apples to other nations such as Neo-America."_

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the base, a soldier took notice of the bundle of yellow flowers.

He smiled "Oh, how lovely," he said as he knelt down to pick them up.

* * *

" _Victricius, however, did not make any profit from their infamous Asriel flowers."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though Vic and Feli are Topaz (Afro-Latin) like Tristan, they still picked up some Japanese traits from Leah.


	7. Act 7

Scene 1:

Prism scouted the scene around him.

Dema had been calmly sketching more notes on their enemies for quite some time. He always found the notes odd because they vaguely resembled those comic books he had always heard of. Nonetheless, he couldn't argue that the format didn't make them easier to read. Chiffon sat on the other side of the roof creating new uniforms for them. After he had asked Prism and Dema for their clothing sizes, he went straight to work. Prism insisted that they didn't need new uniforms—primarily because he didn't want to be seen in matching flamboyant clothes with his team members—but he had to admit that Chiffon's dedication was admirable. He was patient, yet focused intently on his work. He was even compliant when he was requested to do something else and would return to the clothes just as smoothly.

It was an ordinary day for the Sigma Force. Though, Prism felt that something was odd.

The redhead approached the Bronze nation to his left "Hey Dema, I know you said the kids are pretty self-reliant, but how do you know they're alright if all three of us are up here and no one is inside to watch them?"

The female replied casually without looking up from her work "I check on them sometimes," she then tapped her heel on the rooftop "Felicianus! Victricius! Are you okay?!" she called out with her head angled at the spot she tapped.

A muffled "Yeah!" could be heard below the adults' feet.

Prism quirked a brow "How do you know Felicianus is okay if they can't talk?"

Demi then pulled her glasses down from her head and onto the bridge of her nose in a rather professional manner "A mother knows."

* * *

Scene 2:

Prism scouted the scene around him.

Dema had been calmly sketching more notes on their enemies for quite some time. He always found the notes odd because they vaguely resembled those comic books he had always heard of. Nonetheless, he couldn't argue that the format didn't make them easier to read.

It was an ordinary day for the Sigma Force, though, Prism felt that something was odd.

The redhead approached the Bronze nation to his left "Hey Dema, where's Chiffon?"

Dema lifted her gaze and briefly scoped the rooftop "Is he making the kids lunch or something?" she asked herself more than Prism "I haven't seen him all morning."

She tapped her heel on the roof "Felicianus! Victricius! Where's Chiffon?!"

A muffled "I dunno!" resonated from below.

Dema paused for a minute as if she were listening intently to something "Uh oh, Felicianus doesn't know, either," she then said.

Prism opened his mouth to question what the woman heard, but he was interrupted by a ringing in his pocket.

The Pearl nation pulled out a cellphone, and turned it on.

His expression dropped into incredulousness the minute the screen's light shined on his pale face.

"What's the matter?" questioned Dema.

Prism pushed the cell phone towards the woman with a mixture of a disturbed grunt and a shocked scoff.

Dema took hold of the phone and inspected the screen. A concerned frown spread on her face when she saw the screen of a mobile Twitter page.

One of the Tweets was a picture of Chiffon in a jail cell with Koujaku in the background behind bars. Judging from the angle, Chiffon was the one inside of the jail cell whereas Koujaku acted as a warden of sorts. Koujaku looked off of the side, unaware of the photo being taken. Chiffon frowned sourly with his arm extended towards the phone, showing that he was the one taking the photo.

"That feeling when the Omega Pilots kidnap you. Hashtag "Didn't sign up for this"?," Dema said as the read the message part of the Tweet aloud "Is this real? Prism, you have to go take care of this!"

"Why-? What about you?" shot back the man.

"Someone has to look after these kids!" reasoned Dema as she motioned towards their feet. She then handed the cellphone to its rightful owner with a simple "Now hurry up and bring Chiffon here before dinner. He's supposed to be making us baked mostaccioli tonight."

"Thank you for wishing me good luck and hoping that I come back safe and sound. I really feel valued."

"Glad to hear it."

* * *

Scene 3:

"Well, this is a nice change of scenery."

"We're in a prison cell."

"I was being sarcastic."

Prism and Chiffon both sat in a single jail cell side by side with handcuffs confining them. They weren't supplied with any furniture of any kind, so the grown men sat on the floor with their knees up to their chests.

Koujaku still leaned against the bars in a warden-like manner "I don't know what you were expecting," he said "You were outnumbered one-to-five."

Prism scoffed "As if any recruit of The Raven Empire is a challenge for me. I was just, you know, caught off-guard."

Now it was Chiffon's turn to scoff "Caught off-guard? Honey,  _I_  was caught off-guard. They kidnapped me while I was putting the finishing touches on that new uniform! You just barged in with that weak-ass crop of yours and—"

"No one asked you, flower boy!" argued Prism.

In spite of the heated exchange, a contrastingly calm "Well, well, well," echoed into the room.

All three males looked at the tall figure of Lucien entering "What a compromising position you've found yourself in," he mused with a devious smile pressed over his thin lips "Though, I'm not surprised."

Prism grit his teeth in stubborn resistance, his earth brown eyes glaring up at the man.

Lucien's smile melted into a disappointed sneer "Are you ready to give me back what rightfully belongs to me?"

Prism chuckled bitterly "If you think this will get me to comply to your wishes, you must not know who I am."

There was a moment of silence filled by the intense energy between the two men.

The moment ended when the door opened.

"Lucy, what are you doing with a BDSM crop? I didn't know you were into that."

"Jacqueline! Return to your post!" Lucien barked at the younger nation.

Chiffon frowned suspiciously at Prism "Your—"

"Don't say anything."

* * *

Scene 4:

Dema put her notebook down on her lap and looked forward with an analytical gaze.

It had only been fifteen minutes since she sent Prism to the Omega Pilots' base, but something within her being told her that something was wrong. Though, it didn't shake her too much, she couldn't find herself able to focus on her notes anymore.

" _I think I need a break_ ," she thought to herself.

Dema reached into her satchel and pulled out a tablet.

The Bronze woman logged in to her Twitter and gave a soft sigh of relief as she perused the posts about martial arts and comic books.

Then she saw something that erased the smile from her face.

From Chiffon's Twitter was a selfie of himself and Prism in a jail cell. The latter of the two was concealing his face while also flicking his middle finger at the camera. The Tweet, itself, read " _And least I won't be lonely #WeStruggleTogether_."

Demi shook her head, realizing the source of her initial bad feeling was justified.

"A mother knows."


	8. Act 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably note that "Lean" in this case is pronounced "Lee-uhn". Terms like that are going to be used to describe anything that comes from a particular country. Like how "Australian" is used to describe something that comes from Australia.

" _Neo-Australia was known worldwide for their independence and lack of interaction with other countries' affairs. That's why many were shocked by Neo-Australia's alliance with Tristan and Leah. Even Levelle, the second country Neo-Australia had ever interacted with, was surprised._ "

* * *

Scene 1:

"Who would've thought a  _tsundere_  like you would actually get all buddy-buddy with someone!" laughed the man known as Sans Bleu.

The Bronze man within Prism's office grinned in intrigue. He was husky in build and his bespectacled brown eyes quirked with energy. His blue hair mirrored that of his blue and grey striped sweatshirt, which was partially concealed by his black trench coat.

Prism looked away from the window that he had been gazing through ""Assume day ray?" What?" he inquired.

" _Tsundere_ ," corrected the other male "It's Japanese slang."

Prism smirked pridefully "I'm assuming it means "soldier"?"

Sans chuckled "If "soldier" means "someone who acts all cold and tough to look cool in front of people they like" in your country, then yeah."

Prism spun towards the male with an incredulous expression "What?!"

"Well, that's the gender-neutral, non-romantic definition of it," casually responded Sans "The original meaning applies to girls who have a crush on a guy."

Prism scoffed "Tch, don't try to pin your cheesy high school romance tropes on me!"

"Actually, you do fit the trope of a male tsundere," analyzed the still-relaxed nation "You should be familiar with that since they appear more often  _outside_  of anime."

Prism crossed his arms "Would you mind explaining, then?"

Sans rubbed his stubbled chin in thought "Hmm, what's that show your country recently came out with? The one with the kids who get superpowers from these forbidden stones or something…"

"Destiny's Last Gift?"

"Yeah," confirmed Sans "The kid who controls lightening is a male  _tsundere_."

The redhead briefly entertained the idea, his face smooth with pensive thought before returning to irritation "I'm not some hot-tempered, angsty teenage boy."

Instead of replying verbally, Sans raised a patient hand and walked towards Prism's desk.

"What are you doing?" questioned the Pearl nation.

Sans returned to his seat with a vibrant device in his hands. It appeared to be a board with smooth square buttons and knobs on the side.

Prism blinked in surprised "Wha-what was that thing doing behind my desk?"

Though, Sans only answered the first question "I'm gonna serenade you with the song of your people," simply answered the blue-haired man.

Prism was only more confused by the vague explanation "And that would be?"

Without a word of reply, Sans' fingers began to dance along the keys, producing sharp, aggressive music with a heavy electronic influence.

"Angsty dubstep. What else?"

Prism stood in silence as the angry notes swam through his office. The entire time, his face held bemusement and blatant exhaustion.

After only a few minutes of blissful performance, Sans ended his song and glanced over the the red-haired nation with unabashed pride, pride that encouraged even more praise from onlookers.

Prism sighed, pinching his brow "Why did I invite you here?"

* * *

Scene 2:

"Would you stop taking selfies already?" the redhead snarled "It's only proving that you're more materialistic and egotistical than I thought you were."

The camera caught Chiffon's brief frown before it returned to its beautiful poised expression "I'm sending an S.O.S.,  _idiota_ ," retorted the man "Ain't nothing wrong with calling out for help in style. Now could you do me a favor and take a proper picture? I know smiling is tough for  _tsundere's_  like you, but a neutral expression is better than that grouchy face you make."

Prism flinched, a chord striking in his memory "A… _tsundere_?"

The only response the Pearl man received was the click of the camera.

"Wait, did you call me a " _tsundere_ "?" Prism persisted, leaning in too close for comfort.

"Yeah…" Chiffon sneered in annoyance as he typed out his tweet.

"How do you know what that means?" questioned Prism "Have you been around Sans?"

"Are you kidding? Levelle ain't the only Japanese-speaking nation! You're allies with one of them!" scoffed Chiffon.

"Hey, cut me some slack! I'm new to all of this!"

* * *

" _Being an independent nation, Neo-Australia was very centralized and had little knowledge about cultures outside of it. Only when Neo-Australia began getting pulled into other countries' affairs did it start learning about them._ "

* * *

Scene 2:

Within the dark jail cell, Chiffon and Prism slept leaning against one another's backs. Neither thought that they would find themselves able to find any proper rest in the uncomfortable, rigid cell, but enough hours had passed to pull them into slumber whether they wanted to or not.

Prism awoke with a startled snore "Ah…! Someone's here…" he rasped, his throat dry from his snoring.

Chiffon grimaced as he woke up "Agh, you got drool on my jacket…" he complained as he tugged at the damp fabric on his shoulder.

Just then, a loud whirring sound buzzed above both men's heads, shaking away any trace of sleepiness they had left.

" _Lo Gesù_ , what is that?!" Chiffon shouted.

"I don't know…" Prism hushed "Dammit! If only they hadn't taken my crop!"

Very shortly, though, the whirring stopped and a large square opened up in the wall. The moonlight poured in, blinding the two nations and momentarily making them unable to recognize the face above them.

"Dema! Oh thank god-"

"Dema!? How did you-"

The Bronze nation cut off both exclamations with a curt "Shh! Hurry and climb up."

"We're handcuffed, though," Chiffon stated as he raised his hands, pulling Prism's up as well.

Before either could notice the woman reaching for something beside her, a sharp strike cut straight through the chain. The two men leaped with a cry of their own after being separated, their eyes blown wide as they stared at one another.

"Hurry!" repeated Dema as she offered one hand "They already know I'm here!"

Chiffon pushed himself up first and took Dema's hand. Prism followed swiftly after the other man.

Once outside, the sounds of soldiers' heavy footfalls surrounded them.

This time, Chiffon gave the next command "Run!"

* * *

" _When Tristanian troops were captured by the Omega Pilots and put into one of The Raven Empire's jails, Neo-Australian troops were sent to rescue them. However, they were just as easily subdued. Eventually, the two were rescued and returned by the Lean troops._ "

* * *

Scene 3:

Chiffon sighed in a mixture of relief and exhaustion, his hands placed firmly on his hips.

"Sorry guys, but I'll have to post-pone the baked mostaccioli," he said "After the day I've had—not to mention Prism drooling on my clothes—I need a good, long bath."

The Topaz nation walked away, his arms and legs squared awkwardly at the feeling of dirt and sweat rubbed against his skin uncomfortably.

Dema looked up towards the ceiling "So, are you going to sleep at our post, or are you going to take a break and bunk with the kids?"

Prism opened his mouth to respond but a question broke his train of thought "Wait, bunk with the kids?" he asked "What do you mean?"

"Did I tell you that they've been sleeping in your room?" Dema asked in all sincerity.

After a beat of silence, the Bronze nation defended "I figured that since you don't have a guest room, that's what you wanted."

"Oh, oh, you're right," Prism stammered, uneasily nodding "Uh, they're not going through my drawers or anything, right?"

Dema frowned, but her distaste wasn't directed at the redhead "No child of mine would do that," she snarked "Not unless they're looking to get a spanking."

Prism groaned as he palmed his forehead " _That's exactly what I'm afraid of_ …"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:  
> "idiota" = "moron" in Italian  
> "Lo Gesù" = "Jesus" in Italian
> 
> I know it's probably not that clear without a visual, but Prism's entire character is a Shout Out to Rin Matsuoka from "Free!". The pun here is that Rin's first appearance in the anime set him as The Angsty Teen, and to emphasize that, badass dubstep music would play in the background whenever he was there. It was pretty much his leitmotif. That is, until he went through some character development.  
> In regards to Sans, I know I made an Undertale Shout Out with Angelo and Dante, but this one's not so clear cut. Sans is based on our real-life friend. We named his character Sans because he kinda looks like him, and also liked to make puns. Also, Sans' device (let's call it a Checkerboard Mixer for now) is essentially a revamped version of Shawn Wasabi's launchpad.


	9. Act 9

" _Despite being greatly outnumbered, the Sigma Force was able to intimidate the Omega Pilots with their strength of Leah. The country's ability to breach the Omega Pilots' defenses proved that they were a formidable asset to their alliance…_ "

* * *

Scene 1:

"She…she sawed through a ten inch concrete wall…"

Alphonse and Koujaku stared wide-eyed at the clean rectangular hole in the wall before them. Sunlight beamed into the grey jail cell, and the sounds of birds chirping outside could be heard.

"Huh," Koujaku stepped up to inspect the edge of the hole "I can't imagine any blade making a cut like this. What could she have possibly used?"

"Weren't you supposed to be here watching the prisoners?" questioned Alphonse.

"It was pretty clear they weren't going anywhere, so Kramer-sama deemed it safe for me to leave them for the night," Koujaku scratched at the back of his head "But after last night's blunder, we probably won't get that privilege again."

Alphonse folded his arms behind his head "Eh, I'm used to it," he commented.

* * *

Scene 2:

Koujaku tied his long hair with a dull hair tie. He took in a refreshing breath through his chest and crossed his arms pridefully.

"I always knew a day like this would come," boasted the nation as he looked down at the small child beside him.

Unlike Koujaku, the child was black with subtle Asian features on her round face. Her hair was fashioned after the man beside her, but with straight bangs and a purple highlight. A white keikogi and a pair of purple hakama hung on her small body.

"Is that them?" she inquired.

Koujaku lifted his head and followed the child's gaze. A proud smile stretched across his face.

Traveling up the walkway to their home was Russell Spell with Chiffon at his side.

The empire waved with a wide grin "Tatenokawa, _buongiorno_!" he greeted.

Koujaku and the girl beside him bowed respectfully in sync "Ah, Spell-san, it's so wonderful to see you."

"Same to you," replied Russell "Thanks again for letting Chiffon train with your son…uh…"

"Ria," finished Koujaku "We haven't decided on a pedestrian name yet."

"Ria!" Russell kneeled down to shake the girl's hand "It's nice to meet you. Thank you for offering to train Chiffon."

"You're welcome, Spell-sama," replied the girl "I promise to take care of Chiffon-senpai."

* * *

"… _In order to gain more influence, some countries chose to annex small blooming countries. Unlike Tristan, which was a country broken off from the Royal Papyrus Empire, annexed countries were already independent before they became merged with larger countries…_ "

* * *

"Chiffon-senpai, do you need a break?"

Ria looked down at the small boy, who lied sprawled on the grass with bruises on his skin and scratches on his clothes. He was panting in exhaustion and groaning in slight pain. Chiffon gasped to speak, but stopped when he saw Ria offering a small bottle of water.

The boy turned over and accepted the bottle without a word. Ria sat down beside him and pushed around a roaming beetle with the end of her shinai sword.

After Chiffon finished his bottle of water, he sat in silence for a few minutes. He looked at his own discarded shinai sword.

"How long have we been training?" he asked.

"About nineteen days, not including today," Ria answered softly.

"I…haven't gotten any better since the first day, have I?" Chiffon asked.

Ria didn't respond.

Chiffon's chocolate brown eyes grew misty "Papà will come back to pick me up soon. He's gonna expect me to be able to use a sword…"

"There's still time," reassured Ria.

"But the whole reason he had you train me is because I couldn't win when _he_ tried to teach me. Even when he was holding back, I still couldn't win. And now I have an opponent who's younger than me and I'm still terrible at it! I'm…!" Chiffon's face scrunched up as he wiped away surfacing tears, his voice giving a frustrated crack.

Ria was staring at Chiffon in concern and sympathy. Her small hands reached out cautiously to comfort the older boy, but she held back when Chiffon sniffled and began to speak again.

"I just want to be strong like Papà…like the Royal Papyrus Empire," he whispered.

Chiffon rested his head on his arms.

Ria continued to watch in worry as the sound of the wind around them filled in the silence. Finally, she patted Chiffon's arm and spoke up.

"Hey…can I tell you a secret?" she asked.

The boy gave a muffled "Hm?"

Without any further fanfare, Ria stated "Kou-otou is mistaken; I'm not a boy."

Chiffon lifted his head in surprise, his loose tears flicking onto his sleeves.

"Huh?" he squeaked "W-What do you mean?"

"I'm a girl, but Kouj-otou thinks I'm a boy," explained Ria.

Chiffon sniffled again and wiped his face "But…but why don't you correct him? Why didn't you correct me or Papà when we met?" he asked.

"Kou-otou has always wanted a son, but for some reason…he can't have one," started Ria "It's not that he doesn't like girls. He just wanted to have a child that could be just like him; someone to pass on his legacy to. When he adopted me, he thought he finally found the perfect son. He was so happy. I didn't want to destroy that happiness."

Chiffon's expression shifted from bemused to sympathetic "Ria…"

"A lot of parents dream of their children following in their footsteps," she continued "At some point, we have to choose whether we'll follow their path or create our own."

"Well, what do you choose to do, Ria?" asked Chiffon.

The girl looked up at the dojo before them.

* * *

Scene 3:

Dema clicked a button on the handle of the shovel. Upon doing so, two curved blades ejected from the sides of the shovel's scoop.

Prism and Chiffon flinched at the quick action.

"I-It turns into a double-sided axe?" stuttered the redhead.

"I still can't see how you were able to saw through that thick wall," commented the other male.

"Oh, like this."

Dema turned a dial and the blades began to spin rapidly. They made the same whirring sound that both men heard when she had rescued them.

Chiffon gawked in a combination of intimidation and awe "That's my _ragazza_!" he clapped and turned to Prism "Didn't I tell you she was good with weapons?"

"And you made this?" gasped Prism, his focus still on the woman.

"Yup," she confirmed with a smile "I got tired of having to switch between handy tools and weapons, so I started merging them," she then quietly muttered "Also in case of a zombie outbreak…"

Prism gave a prideful snicker "I'm sure Lucien had no idea what hit him."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Buongiorno" = "Good morning"  
> "Ragazza" = "Girl"
> 
> There are upcoming trans/nonbinary characters in the story, but Ria isn't one of them. Canon Hetalia had two characters raised as the opposite sex (because Austria is a doodle), but Ria is aware that she's female. In other words, she's living a Mulan/Naoto Shirogane scenario.
> 
> Relationships between nations are complicated because they don't have families the same way humans do. In canon Hetalia, England raised America, but they rarely one another as family. So instead of calling Koujaku just his name alone or "otou-sama", she calls him "Kou-Otou". You'll notice some nations refer to their guardians differently depending on their relationships and personalities. Jacqueline is playful and acts like a younger sibling, so she calls Lucien "Lucy". Chiffon is emotion-driven and sticks to his role as the son, so he calls Russell "Papà" and later on "Grand Pappy Russ".


	10. Act10

Scene 1:

Chiffon sauntered down the grey bricked road littered with pink leaves. They stuck to his shoes from the earlier rain, but his eyes were too busy perusing the marble buildings to squint at the inconvenience.

" _A pastel aesthetic_ ," he noted with an approving nod " _So clean and soft on the eye. It looks like this new nation already has the basics of style down_."

The man waved and smiled at passing civilians who gazed upon him with the shock and respect of a celebrity. Particular women even blushed when he winked or blew a kiss in their directions. Though nations like himself weren't necessarily on the same tier as actors or musicians, they were still famous icons.

Chiffon passed fewer and fewer people as he approached the governmental neighborhood, which was protected by a gate with a pair of guards.

"Good morning, lovelies," Chiffon greeted as he tugged on the rouge corsage, which then produced his identification card.

"And good morning to you…" the androgynous guard trailed off as they inspected the card "Mr. Mila."

They then nodded approvingly to the other guard and the two moved to open the gate.

"We hope you enjoy your visit, sir!" said the other guard with a wave.

" _Grazie_ ," Chiffon thanked as he entered the area with a departing wave.

* * *

" _Back during the Earth's first stage, there was an iconic building called the White House. Here, the president of the United States lived. Other lesser known equivalents such as France's_ _Élysée Palace and South Korea's Blue House also served as residence for the rulers of their countries. On Pandora, a similar system is set up. Government officials, presidents, and other politicians lived in neighborhoods called a Ruling. Within that Ruling would be a Crowning Mansion, where the personification of the country would live. This was their equivalent of a White House_ …"

* * *

Jacqueline opened the pearl white door, gasping upon seeing the man standing at her step.

"Chiffon, is that really you?" they asked, hovering their hand over an open-mouthed smile.

The man nodded " _Sì_ , Cierra—or Jacqueline, so I've heard," he said with a knowing wink.

Jacqueline clasped her hands in delight "You heard right. I picked my pedestrian name just last year," their eyes looked up at Chiffon's face " _Mon dieu_ , you've gone through quite a few growth spurts since I last saw you."

"I could say the same, Jacque," Chiffon's eyes briefly dipped to the individual's bust before averting themselves to her biceps "It looks like someone's been working out."

Jacqueline proudly placed their hand on their hip "Thanks for noticing! I recently had a gym installed next to the living room," she stepped aside to let Chiffon walk in "Come on in, we've got to catch up. I want to hear all about your travels."

* * *

"… _During Tristan's years of migration and exploration, he got to experience many new cultures and introduce his own across the world. Some nations were even visited more than once_ …"

* * *

"I have to say, I'm really happy with how this country turned out," Jacqueline commented, stirring her tea "I wasn't really expecting much after that fiasco with Lucien, but I pulled it off."

"And fast, too," replied Chiffon, gathering a spoonful of the dessert on his plate "You built this place in half the time most nations do."

He took a bite of the colorful dish and his eyes immediately widened "Mm-mm-mm! Jacque, what  _is_  this dessert?"

The rose-haired nation chuckled "Marshmallow and strawberry lasagna."

Chiffon hungrily licked away the cream from his lips "It's delicious,  _bambino_!"

"Thanks, but I do wish I could have some actual lasagna for a change," Jacqueline lifted the spoon from their cup and eyed the few sugar granules that hadn't dissolved "When I settled, I got a lot of confectionary imports from Ariel. I was so excited that I forgot to actually get any other kind of food."

She set aside her teacup "All this sugar is giving me a headache…"

While Jacqueline spoke, Chiffon had finished his plateful of dessert lasagna. His expression wilted slightly as he observed the other's dismay. Chiffon tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"How about we make a trade?" he said "I'll give you exports of my pastas and cheeses in exchange for…"

Jacqueline perked up as she watched the man look around the room. She was eager to offer just about anything so long as Chiffon could put a name on it.

The man's gaze floated out of the window, which had a full view of a tennis court.

He grinned at Jacqueline "Tennis lessons."

Jacqueline raised a brow.

* * *

Scene 2:

Lucien begrudgingly flipped through the leather-bound book in his hands, his thin lips settled in a disgruntled frown.

Koujaku, who whistled a nostalgic tune as he strolled, took notice of his leader's disposition.

"What's the matter, Kramer-san?" he implored as he stepped up to the man.

"Oh, Jacqueline removed all of the lethal spells from my grimoire," Lucien grumbled, closing the book with one hand, showing all of the gaps where the pages had been torn "She says they're too "demonic" and that "any ritual that requires an animal sacrifice is bad news". Tch, the nerve of that child. Does she forget that I raised her?"

Koujaku crossed his arms "Some youths have no respect for their elders. I'm so glad I was granted with micro nations that didn't interfere with my  _yōkai_  studies."

Lucien's eyes bounced in intrigue "Oh yes, I almost forgot!"

"You have another spell book?" guessed Koujaku.

"No, no, I have you."

Red tinged Koujaku's cheeks. The man cleared his throat and averted his eyes in modesty "This is so sudden…" he began.

"Surely, you can summon a  _yōkai_  that would put Prism and his lackeys in place, right?" asked Lucien.

Koujaku then straightened "Oh, oh, yes, of course. That's exactly what I thought you meant," he shook off his previous discomfort "Although we are far away from where the most deadly  _yōkai_  are, I think I could get a hold of an  _oni_."

"That's a demon, correct?" questioned Lucien.

"Yup, and I can send it directly to their base so that we won't catch any dangerous energy it might leave behind if we were to summon it here first."

Lucien nodded approvingly "Excellent," he complimented "So, what type of demon do you plan on sending?"

"Ohoho, I've got my sights set on one of the most elusive and potent  _oni_. No one has even successfully summoned one," Koujaku gave a sly grin "Until today…"

* * *

Scene 3:

Chiffon hummed peacefully as he generously seasoned the chopped vegetables sizzling in his pan. He then lowered the power of the fire on the stovetop and stepped over to the counter, where a bowl surrounded by more ingredients resided. The man opened the carton of eggs, but halted before plucking one.

The eggs were shaking erratically, so much so that even the carton, itself, began to shake.

"Huh? Is this a prank?" Chiffon murmured as he looked around himself for an explanation.

Cracks began to form on the eggs. The man gasped and stepped back, still unsure of how seriously he should be taking the display before him.

One of the eggs hatched, and a small yellow creature emerged, but it wasn't a chicken. In fact, it wasn't even a bird. Although it only stood at about two inches tall, it resembled a rabbit or a bipedal feline due to its pointed ears and stumpy tail. However, instead of having fur, its entire being appeared sleek and soft like a yellow rubber toy. It used its stubby arms to push its way out of the egg and climb out of the carton.

However, one thing that stood out the most to Chiffon was its cartoonish smirk, and how it didn't move when it spoke.

"Deg deg."

* * *

Two nations walked up to their base, shopping bags in hand, as their soldiers saluted them. The afternoon sun generously illuminated the area in a way that radiated positivity and serenity.

"That merchant had a lot of good weapons, Prism," commented Dema "Are you sure you don't wanna go back and get something other than a riding crop?"

Without missing a beat, the redhead replied "Of course I'm sure. It's the perfect weapon for me."

"Really? Did you used to be a horse jockey?" Dema asked as they approached the front door.

"No," Prism said, pulling out his keys "I guess you could say…I just have an affinity for them."

"But they're not even good weap—" the woman's argument was cut short by a gasp from both herself and Prism when he opened the door.

Small yellow creatures danced within the lounge area. The few that managed to get onto the couch enjoyed themselves by bouncing on the cushions. Upon looking around, both nations could see that there had to be over a hundred of them, and they expanded their territory farther than just the lounge area. Music bumped and pulsated through the home and strobe lights colored the little bodies of the creatures.

Both Dema and Prism's mouths hung open at the sight. Yet the creatures didn't seem to pay any mind to them. Most of them only briefly acknowledged their presence while they continued dancing as though they were only more party-goers.

"Chiffon! Chiffon!" Prism dropped his bags at the porch and pulled out the aforementioned riding crop before carefully maneuvering through the minuscule crowd. Dema followed behind with an incredulous "What has that boy gotten into?!"

The two managed to thread their way through the mass of dancing beings, most of them moved out of the way, themselves, not wanting to get stepped on. Regardless, Prism helped push them away with his crop as they headed towards the kitchen, where both knew Chiffon was cooking lunch when they had left.

"Chiffon, there better be a good explanation for—oh for God's sake, Sans, what are you doing here?!"

In the corner of the dining hall, just barely out of Prism's sight, was the blue-haired nation, himself, seated at a desk with his Checkerboard Mixer and speakers. Upon seeing Prism, Sans removed one of his headphones and waved "Hey, guys!"

"What are you doing here, Sans?!" this time, Dema had asked the question.

"Just DJing for the Lennies. They really know how to turn up," Sans then winked at the two "And they've got bank!"

"Where's Chiffon, Sans?" asked Prism.

"In the kitchen. I guess you could say he's a little…tied up."

With the click of a button, Sans created a classic cymbal crash on his Checkerboard Mixer.

Dema hurried to the kitchen as Prism momentarily scowled at the "Lennies'" excitement over the pun. He then followed Dema's lead, immediately shocked when he saw that Sans' joke was more than literal.

Dema carefully cut away the binds that strapped Chiffon to the refrigerator door handle with an abandoned kitchen knife. Prism rushed to his side and pulled off the cloth gag from Chiffon's head.

After smacking his lips in disgust, the man gave a dry " _Grazie_ …"

"Chiffon, why did you let these… _things_  in here?" asked Prism.

Chiffon scoffed "What makes you think I did this?!"

"You were the only one in here," argued Prism "And we all know how much you love to party."

The Topaz nation snorted "I was just cooking when those heathens popped out of the eggs!"

"The eggs?" Prism raised a skeptical brow at the empty carton "That's just over the top, even for you."

Chiffon looked to Dema "You believe me, right?"

"Admittedly, I kinda suspected that you had something to do with this. I mean, you  _do_  love partying," when the woman said this, Chiffon's face fell into despaired shock "But, I know you're not a liar."

With that, Dema tugged the rope as the rest of the binds unravelled and fell to the floor.

Chiffon grinned, patting the Bronze nation's shoulder "Ah, I knew I could count on you."

Prism slapped his forehead "Are you really going to believe that all these Lennies came from a dozen store-bought eggs?"

"Now's not the time to be figuring who's to blame and who's telling the truth. We've gotta get rid of these guys," Dema motioned around them "They're destroying the place!"

"Alright…" Prism readied his riding crop.

"Step aside, Mr. Whodunnit," Chiffon waved his arm in front of the Pearl nation "I already thought of a plan while you two were gone. Dema, hand me my hair brush and Dante's slingshot."

" _Hai_."

As Dema hurried to fulfill that request, Prism only stared in bemusement

* * *

"Alright Dema, keep the pace even! Prism, stay quick on your toes!"

Dema and Prism stood in the kitchen doorway. Dema was armed with the slingshot while Prism knelt down to the Lennies' level, who still danced even though Sans had stopped playing music. In the center of the kitchen, Chiffon stood with his hairbrush raised high in preparation.

"On my mark, get set…go!"

Prism scooped up one of the Lennies into his palm and tossed it to Dema, who then fired it to Chiffon. With clean precision, the man backhanded the Lenny into the fryer set in the corner of the kitchen. A loud sizzling noise confirmed success.

Next came a forehand, then another backhand. Each shot Chiffon made was perfectly timed and neat. Even as Dema worked, she stared in awe at the elder.

"I still think this is crazy," muttered Prism as he tossed Lennies to her.

"But it's working," noted the woman "If you could see what I'm seeing, you'd be impressed."

* * *

Lucien casually sipped from his tea cup, humming "This green tea really is something," afterwards.

As Koujaku poured himself a cupful from the other side of the bar, Lucien asked "So how do you think the Sigma Force is handling the  _oni_?"

The Opal nation blew the steam from his cup "Not well, I would guess," he said "The most dangerous  _oni_  in my culture is the  _Ao Oni_ , which actually uses brute force to kill people. If this  _oni_  is even more dangerous than that…"

"Well let's not forget that we're dealing with nations," swept in Lucien "We're not exactly mortal."

"That's true," Koujaku agreed as he rubbed his chin in thought "Then the worst that would happen, in this case, would probably be destruction of the land. They'd have to surrender at that point."

Lucien took another sip of his tea "Then he'll be forced to give back what's rightfully mine."

* * *

"Just a few more, Prism!" Dema called out over her shoulder.

The redhead in question chased after a small group of Lennies "I'm trying…" he huffed "Gotcha!"

When the small creatures discovered what the Sigma Force was doing, they had begun to spiral into a frenzy. They ultimately ended up subduing themselves by fumbling over one another in their attempts to escape. Those that fell down rocked on the backs of their heads, desperately flailing their small bodies like overturned turtles. Those same bodies prevented them from making any hasty escapes up the stairs or through any exit.

Now, however, only a few Lennies remained. The empty space allowed them the freedom to run around as opposed to when they were huddled together.

Chiffon fanned himself with his brush, giving a breath of exhaustion as he awaited the next projectile. After a few minutes of dead activity, he looked to Dema.

"Is Prism still trying to catch the last few?" he asked with a twinge of impatience.

Dema shrugged, looking over her shoulder again to find the Pearl nation "Prism! Did you get them all?"

The redhead was stooped down to the floor, his eyes roaming the underside of his couch "I think so," he said "I definitely don't hear them saying "dig dig" or whatever."

The only sound that could be heard within the base was the crackling of the hot oil in the fryer.

Dema sighed in relief and entered the kitchen "Well done, Chiffon! This was such an easy cleanup."

The man then sniffed "And they smell great, kinda like carnival food."

Prism eyed the fryer as he silently stepped into the kitchen "Yeah, they really do…" uneasiness laced his words.

"Is something wrong?" inquired Dema.

"No, it's just, uh…" again, his eyes roamed over to the bubbling grease, which had started to quiet down as the "food" finished frying "I mean, the Lennies were annoying, but don't you think this is a little cruel?"

"What?" asked Chiffon.

"Deep frying them while they're still alive. I mean, I know they used to just be eggs that you were going to cook anyway, but still…"

Dema gave a dismissive wave "Don't worry, they weren't innocent creatures. While we were walking through them, I recognized a certain magic used on them," she said "It's a Tatenokawan possession ritual. In other words, they're demons."

From the dining hall, Sans lilted "I guess you could call them…Deviled Eggs."

With the press of a button, another classic cymbal crash echoed from the speakers.

The trio of nations glared at him in blatant disapproval.

Sans shrugged "I still got paid."

Chiffon sighed and approached the fryer "Well I guess we're having fried Lennies for lunch instead," as he switched it off and reached for his oven mitts, he laughed "Hey, Sans, right? Would you like to join us for some Crispy Meme Donuts? Haha, how's that for a pun—ah!"

Just as Chiffon was ready to lift the strainer, he jumped back.

One by one, the Lennies calmly walked out of the fryer. They had grown at least twice in size, and golden brown crust covered their once-smooth bodies. Regardless, their smirks still remained.

"How the…" Prism started.

"Who survives being deep-fried?!" gasped Dema.

Just as they moved to act, they halted upon noticing the first Lenny to leave the fryer ignored the trio and made no effort to interact with them. Instead, it climbed up the refrigerator to reach the small window above it. Upon opening it, the Lenny went outside, leading the others to do the same.

Dema, Prism, and Chiffon watched as an organized line of the fried creatures left the kitchen, leaving drops of oil in their path. A heavy silence steadied the air, all three nations too stunned to speak. Even when the last Lenny closed the door behind it, the Sigma Force only stared with wide eyes and mouths agape.

Sans rubbed his chin "Hmm, that was a pretty impressive pun, Chiffon. I can see why Prism asked you to be his ally."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is. My sense of humor, everybody.


	11. Act 11

Scene 1:

“Alright, this time they’ve gone too far!” griped Prism as he marched into the kitchen “I could tolerate his other schemes, but this crosses the line.”

Chiffon looked up from the coffee Dema had served him with a bemused expression “They kidnapped and locked us away in a jail cell without a bed, but six-inch tall memes are where you cross the line?”

“They  _were_  demons,” Dema reminded him with a tilt of her head "However cute--or funny--they were, that doesn't change the fact that they're malevolent beings."

“It’s just the audacity of it all!” Prism continued to rant as he grumpily opened the refrigerator “He’s practically mocking me by taking such a childish approach. It’s like he’s saying “Neo-Australia’s not even worth a serious attack.” Can you believe that guy?”

Still frowning in disbelief, Chiffon shook his head slowly “I don’t…? See the problem here…?”

However, it went unheard as Prism plucked a green bottle from the refrigerator shelf.

Immediately, Dema’s eyes darted away from her work “Ah-ah! Remember what I told you about the wasabi paste,” she scolded as she waved her hand in warning “It’s not like your country’s hot sauce.”

“I know, but I’m not the one who’s going to be eating it,” Prism remarked with a sly grin “If Lucien wants to play prankster, I've got no problem retaliating.”

* * *

“ _It is said that The Raven Empire and Tatenokawa collaborated to send curse upon the Sigma Force’s territory. Citizens of the nations claimed to experience being followed and taunted by imp-like creatures called “Lennies”. They would break into homes, and create overall bad luck and mischief wherever they roamed…”_

* * *

Scene 2:

Alphonse accepted a red tray from a soldier with a grateful “Thanks, James.”

The tray carried three colorful paper bags and five equally colorful cups in holders that were embedded within the four corners and the center of the tray.

“Smells good!” commented the soldier “I might have to give this restaurant a try during my break.”

“If you ever get one,” Alphonse joked with a wink.

The soldier's face fell in displeasure.

“Kidding, kidding!” Alphonse reassured “I’ll, uh, I’ll try to convince Lucien to give you guys some time off.”

The soldier wordlessly closed the door separating him and the nation, causing Alphonse’s grin to falter slightly.

He sighed “Note to self: Send James on a paid vacation when the war’s over.”

He then turned around and ventured into the heart of the base “Yo guys, our food’s here!” he announced.

Flora was the first to come to his side “That was fast,” she admired.

The man tilted the tray slightly upward and said “I think this sweet-smelling bag is yours. Did Jacqueline have the bubble tea?”

“Yeah, we both did,” confirmed Flora as she relieved the weight from the tray “I want them to give it a try. Thanks, Alphonse.”

“No problem.”

The man then walked over to the bar where the other two male members resided, Koujaku laughing heartily while Lucien regarded him with a prideful smile.

“Here you go, guys,” Alphonse removed and set aside his own bag and beverage before sliding the tray over to the others.

“Thank you, Alphonse,” said Lucien as he pulled up his cup from its holder.

“ _Arigatō_ , Breaker-kun,” Koujaku grinned as he opened up the remaining bag of food and pulled out his meal “With how much you've been hyping up this restaurant, I’ve got some high expectations,” he teased.

“You’ll love it, trust me. They know how to season their food to perfection. If you’re not into it, hand over your scraps to me. I’ll take ‘em,” the copper nation then leaned forward “It’s the vegan I’m more or less worried about…”

As if on cue, Lucien coughed aggressively after taking a sip of his drink, a drip of green liquid leaking over his pale bottom lip.

Alphonse sighed with an apologetic smile “Well, it was worth a try.”

As Lucien continued to cough, Koujaku banged his open palm against the hollow of his broad back “Whoa, whoa, Kramer-san! Did it go down the wrong pipe?”

The tall man’s eyes watered and his face burned red. However, he wasn’t having any problem breathing.

“It’s not…it’s not…” he coughed between each repeated phrase, his voice raspy and watery.

“You know, there’s a much nicer way to tell me you don’t like the food,” said Alphonse.

Lucien stumbled off of his barstool stuttering “Milk…bread…n-neutrali-ize…th-the burn…”

Both men curiously watched their leader shuffle out of the room in search of a way to cure his pain. They then looked at one another for an answer, only to find nothing.

“He ordered a vegetarian smoothie, right?” asked Alphonse “That’s what he told me to get.”

Koujaku’s gaze shifted towards the green drink abandoned by Lucien.

The opal nation popped open the lid and immediately winced “That does not smell like banana, peanut butter, spinach, berries,  _or_  almond milk,” he listed off.

Alphonse leaned over to look into the cup “What does it smell like?”

Quick as a whip, Koujaku replied “Wasabi peas,” with a suspicious squint.

An outraged curse could be heard from the other room, picking up both males' attention. The two hurried to attend to it, only to meet with Flora and Jacqueline half-way through in the hallway.

Flora spoke first, or more so, scolded.

“Hey, y’all think this is a game?!”

Alphonse jumped back “What? What happened?”

Without a word, Flora shook the pink rectangular box in her hands.

“Yeah, I got you guys the donuts you asked for!” Alphonse defended.

“Lies!” Jacqueline flipped open the lid to reveal a vegetable platter “I wish it was a box of donuts, but all I see here are lies.”

She then grabbed Alphonse by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him close to her face “Look at me. Look at me, Alphonse. Do I look like a celery-munching  _dégénéré_  to you? Do I?”

Flora carefully pulled the rose-haired nation away with a less intimidating voice “We paid for donuts, and we didn’t get them. Heck, we didn't even get ranch dressing. This is toothpaste!”

Koujaku shook his head and crossed his arms “This is just doesn’t add up. First someone put wasabi in Lucien’s smoothie. Then someone replaced your donuts with vegetables? Could we have gotten someone else’s order?”

Flora wrinkled her nose in distaste “Who in their right mind would put wasabi in their smoothie?”

With that question posed, Alphonse’s bemusement became replaced with interest “Well when you put it like that…” his eyes roamed back into the bar “That does sound pretty delicious…”

“Alphonse, come on,” Koujaku quipped.

The man licked his lips “You know, maybe if I give it a taste, I can figure out who the culprit is,” he reasoned.

“You’ve gotta be kidding m—“ before Flora could finish that statement, the copper nation was already hurrying back into the bar.

Jacqueline sighed “What are we going to do with that man?”

* * *

Scene 3:

“Don’t you think it’s a bit tacky? Pranking them through their food?” Chiffon questioned with disgust “I mean you have to think of the big picture. We’re nations. We could plan elaborate pranks that would take decades to set up.”

Prism waved off the idea “I’m not waiting decades in silence while Lucien rags on me. As much as I’d love to set up something that would mess with his head, I’m sure he would just get off on it like the nightmare fetishist he is.”

“And putting on these God-awful diner uniforms was worth it?”

The two males stood in the back of a kitchen bustling with similarly clothed people carrying platters of food. The sounds of frying oil, boiling water, and sizzling grills overwhelmed their senses as the mixed aromas of different dishes filled their lungs.

Dema swung by on a pair of roller skates and tacked a note with a scribbled order onto Prism’s forehead “Two chicken clubs and an ice cream sundae for table two, hold the lettuce on both,” she rattled off before skating back to her customers.

Prism removed the note from his forehead and regarded Chiffon “Wars take drastic measures to win.”

* * *

 _“…In response, Neo-Australia crafted a strategy to disrupt each nations’ imports of food. Ariel and Cierra’s confectionaries were replaced with vegetables and toothpaste. Many of The Raven Empire’s imports were replaced with wasabi products from Leah. Even Tatenokawa’s bread were replaced with soap from Tristan…_ ”

* * *

Scene 2:

“I can’t…believe he’s eating a burger with toothpaste on it…”

Jacqueline held his fingers to his lips as he watched the sight, despite feeling himself become sick. He and the other members of the Omega Pilots watched in awe as Alphonse easily dined on their discarded food. Although he didn’t devour it like a wild beast, the sight still sent shivers down the nations’ spines.

“That’s not even a real bun,” said Koujaku “It’s just a microwaved soap bar.”

The man in question looked up from his meal at his comrades.

He sighed “No offense, guys, but I don’t exactly like being stared at while I’m eating.”

“But how can you eat that?” spat out Jacqueline.

“It’s like I told Koujaku,” Alphonse reached for a napkin and wiped his chin clean “If you guys ended up not liking the food, I would gladly take your leftovers.”

* * *

“… _The only nation that benefited from the mishap was Neo-America, where it is common to incorporate unconventional ingredients in their meals_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dégénéré = “inbred” in French  
> It’s true that if you microwave a soap bar, it will come out looking like a biscuit. I got nearly all of these food pranks from the Smosh website.


	12. Act 12

Scene 1:

“Yesterday’s incident was obviously an attack from Ria,” declared Koujaku “No country has access to wasabi products except for me and my adopted nations.”

Lucien visibly shuddered, wearily gripping a glass of water despite the numerous beverages his bar allowed him. Koujaku had offered to brew more green tea for him, but the empire was too shaken to risk being tricked again.

“Not even Levelle?” queried Lucien.

Koujaku clicked his tongue at the name “Even if he asked me for any of my products, I wouldn’t give them to him,” he murmured as he brought his tea cup to his lips “Besides...I had heard rumors that Ria was collaborating with the Sigma Force.”

He looked down into the steaming green liquid with his mirroring eyes “I didn’t think he was actually part of the alliance, itself.”

Koujaku sighed.

“This is troubling,” he said “I can’t believe this is the path my son is taking after I let him go.”

Lucien gave a cold hum “That’s why I didn’t let Jacqueline go,” he said in a matter-of-fact style “When she wanted to be an independent nation, I kept a firm hand and refused her request.”

Koujaku looked up at the empire “But she’s an independent nation now. So what happened?”

Lucien didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, he cleared his throat and mumbled “Something I’d rather not talk about…”

* * *

“ _While the Omega Pilots were fairly surprised by the Sigma Force’s attack, Neo-Australia had long since been accustomed to The Raven Empire’s methods..._ ”

* * *

Scene 2:

A pleasant tranquility resided within the Sigma Force’s base. Activity was still, but not stiffly so. The television buzzed as the micro-nations watched an anime in the living room. In the lounging area, Prism could be found reclining in his cushy rust orange chair with a magazine in hand.

Dema walked by the entrance of the lounge, humming a soft tune. Then she stopped herself and walked back into the entrance.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“What’s what?” replied Prism, briefly looking up from his reading.

“That.”

Dema pointed to an ink black box sitting on the coffee table in the corner of the room. It didn’t necessarily “sit”, but more accurately “hovered” above the furniture in a wafting aura of purple and blue smoke. It was closed with a silver skull latch, and was carved with intricate designs.

Prism followed Dema’s finger and regarded the box in question “Oh that? I’m surprised you didn’t ask about it earlier. It’s been here for over a week,” he commented “It’s some cursed box Lucien sent over.”

Dema furrowed her brow at the lukewarm attitude of the usually fiery man. Her eyes bounced between him and the box to verify if she understood the situation correctly. 

“...and you’ve just been letting it sit here for a week?” she finally asked.

“Hey, I’m not new to this kind of thing. As soon as you open that box, all hell will break loose. I just know it,” Prism’s tone then shifted into his more authoritative state “I’m not opening it, and neither are you or Chiffon.

From the dining area, the latter’s voice could be heard saying “This is the one thing I agree with him on! I ain’t going near that thing!”

* * *

“ _With this stalemate between the warring alliances, tensions built between the partnered nations. War is already a burden; a long-drawn-out war is just a hindrance._ ”

* * *

Scene 3:

“Come on, let’s just get out there already!” Flora groaned “The soldiers are literally sitting out there playing _Uno_ , they’re so bored.”

Lucien muttered “slackers” under his breath as he continued to thumb through his spell book. Even with its torn out pages, it was still useful to him.

“I’ll find something in a moment,” he said “Just give me some time.”

Despite being dismissed like a child, Flora rested her hands on her hips in a motherly fashion.

“No more spells,” she bluntly stated.

“What? Why?”

“They’re not doing anything! We need to get out there and actually do something, ourselves,” argued Flora.

The empire restrained a frown “Are you forgetting that _I_ am the leader of this alliance?”

Without the slightest waver, Flora replied “No, but you guys called me over to be an ally in war. I brought my mace and my soldiers here, and I haven’t used either since I’ve gotten here.”

“War is not always about violence,” Lucien set his palm on the open spell book like a judge’s gavel “You have to be tactful and have strategy.”

“I’m not saying we should just run in without a plan; I’m saying we need to do more than just fire shots from a distance.”

“What, you mean fight, face-to-face?” snorted Lucien as though it were an elementary thought.

“Yeah, I mean, even the Sigma Force’s leader came here directly when we captured Tristan,” said Flora “If he can step out by himself for a jailbreak, we can step out to finish this war.”

Lucien sneered at the mention of Prism “And what happened when he “stepped out”? He was captured, too, by us.”

The tall male closed his book and set it down on his desk as he said “The only reason he took such a risk is because he’s thoughtless. Any blow you take from another nation is directly harmful to your citizens. You can’t be that stupid like that!

Flora took a step forward as she groaned “You’re not getting it…!”

“Hey, what’s going on here?”

Just then, Alphonse stepped past the doorway of Lucien’s office, his attention caught by the thick frustration radiating from both parties.

“Nothing of importance,” Lucien quipped.

“Lucien doesn’t wanna fight the Sigma Force head-on because he thinks it’s just a reckless attempt at getting a victory.”

The empire’s crimson eyes shot a sharp glare at Flora. However, the Brass nation kept her back to Lucien as her attention was directed towards Alphonse.

The bespectacled man curiously entered the office “You really think so?” he asked, walking into the office.

Lucien clicked his tongue before replying “Of course! Why would you risk the state of your country and all of the people in it just so you can triumph over a foe?”

“Well, that’s not the reason I fought in war,” said Alphonse.

The statement was said so casually that it took a moment for the information to set in for both Flora and Lucien. Alphonse couldn’t help but smile at the looks of disbelief in his comrades’ eyes.

“Wait, did you say you…?” Flora left the question open as she pointed at Alphonse.

The Copper nation gave a single nod and looked at the empire behind her.

“You see, Lucien, I fought alongside my men because I never wanted them to be alone,” he explained “I stood by them no matter what, and I can tell you right now that it wasn’t for some badge of honor.

The empire addressed pressed his lips into a thin line, remaining quiet, but the resistance in his expression had vanished and was replaced with a respectful acceptance.

“I trust Flora’s idea,” chirped Alphonse as he motioned towards the woman “I think if we all just work together, we can put this war to rest.”

With both younger nations looking at Lucien with encouraging grins, the man could no longer remain silent. After all, he was not just their elder, but an empire. He couldn’t give in to petty behavior. 

Lucien’s shoulders sagged as he sighed through his nose.

“Alright, Flora,” he said “I leave our next attack strategy up to you.”

* * *

Scene 4:

Two of the three members of the Sigma Force resided on their rooftop posts. Night was falling, and they were doing their routine checkups to make sure they were prepared for any call to duty.

After tapping one of his shelves with his heel to make sure it was secure, Prism regarded Dema “Looks like we’re all set.”

The woman, checking off a list on her tablet, nodded “And in record time, too.”

As Dema tucked away her device, Prism’s grin faltered.

“Hey Dema,” he said “Do you ever wonder why we all speak English when the first nation was Italian?”

“Actually, we’re all speaking Italian right now. It’s just that it’s written out in English because that’s the language our target audience speaks.”

“Target what? Wait, what did you just say?”

Before Dema could reply, the hatch leading down to the inside of the base snapped open. Chiffon emerged, burns and small purple flames peppering his being. He panted frantically as he struggled to get out the words “D-D-Dante opened the box..!”

“ _Lucien’s_ box?!” Dema squeaked “Oh no, no Dante!”

She hurried down the hatch, Prism scolding “I told you guys not to mess with the box!”


End file.
